If you walked into a cinema last month, you probably noticed things felt a little... intense. Usually, the holidays are for cozy family movies and maybe one big superhero flick. But movies in theaters December 2024 decided to go absolutely off the rails in the best way possible. We didn’t just get one blockbuster; we got a collision of blue hedgehogs, singing lions, and a very pale vampire who definitely wasn't there to spread Christmas cheer.
It was a chaotic month for the box office. Honestly, it felt like the studios all dared each other to release their biggest swings in the same four-week window. You had Timothée Chalamet trying to capture the soul of Bob Dylan while Robert Eggers was busy making everyone uncomfortable with a gothic horror masterpiece. It was a lot to take in.
The Battle of the Heavyweights: Sonic vs. Mufasa
The biggest story of the month was the December 20th showdown. This was the weekend that basically forced parents to choose between two very different talking animals. On one side, you had Sonic the Hedgehog 3. People were hyped for this one, mostly because Keanu Reeves joined the cast as Shadow. It paid off. The movie opened to over $60 million domestically and has already clawed its way toward a $500 million global total.
Then you had Mufasa: The Lion King.
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Now, look, a lot of people were skeptical about a prequel to a remake. Does anyone really need to know the backstory of Mufasa and Scar? Apparently, the answer is "kind of." While it didn't explode with the same force as the 2019 film, it’s been a steady earner. By the end of December, it was neck-and-neck with Sonic, pulling in over $128 million domestically by New Year's Eve. It’s a "slow burn" success, the kind Disney relies on during the winter break when kids are out of school and parents are desperate for two hours of peace.
Why Nosferatu Became the Ultimate Holiday Counter-Programming
While families were watching lions and hedgehogs, Focus Features decided to drop Nosferatu on Christmas Day.
Bold move.
Director Robert Eggers is known for being meticulously obsessed with historical detail—think The Witch or The Lighthouse. Bringing that energy to a remake of a 1922 silent film is basically the opposite of a "feel-good holiday movie." Bill Skarsgård’s portrayal of Count Orlok is legitimately haunting, and Lily-Rose Depp really anchors the whole gothic nightmare.
It shouldn't have worked on Christmas, yet it did. It pulled in nearly $30 million in its first week. People wanted something dark to cut through the tinsel and peppermint. It’s a beautifully shot film that reminds you why we go to the big screen in the first place—to see something that feels larger than life, even if it’s terrifying.
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The Holdovers: Wicked and Moana 2 Refused to Leave
You can’t talk about movies in theaters December 2024 without mentioning the giants that arrived in November but stayed for the party. Wicked and Moana 2 were still dominant forces throughout the entire month.
- Wicked became a legitimate cultural phenomenon. It didn't just sell tickets; it sold an aesthetic. By mid-December, it had already surpassed $333 million domestically, becoming the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever in North America, beating out the old 1978 record held by Grease.
- Moana 2 was the quiet giant. It crossed the $400 million mark just as the year was ending. It turns out that people really, really like Dwayne Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho, regardless of what the critics say.
A Different Kind of Hero: Bob Dylan and the Anime Epic
If you wanted something a bit more grounded, Searchlight Pictures gave us A Complete Unknown on December 25th. Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan is the kind of "prestige" cinema that usually cleans up during awards season. It’s a focused look at Dylan’s move to New York and that infamous moment he picked up an electric guitar and changed music forever.
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Then there was The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which dropped on December 13th. This was a massive experiment—a big-budget anime set in the world of Middle-earth. It takes place nearly 200 years before Frodo was even a thought, focusing on Helm Hammerhand. While it didn't do "Marvel numbers," it found a dedicated audience. It’s a gorgeous film that proves there is still plenty of gas in the Tolkien tank if you're willing to try new styles.
What We Learned from the December Box Office
Looking back, the big takeaway is that the "monoculture" isn't dead; it's just crowded. We saw that audiences are willing to show up for three or four massive movies at the same time if the quality is there.
- Sequels and IP still rule, but they have to be "event" films. Sonic 3 worked because it felt like a culmination.
- Star power matters. Denzel Washington in Gladiator II (which was still hanging around) and Chalamet as Dylan prove that names still put butts in seats.
- The "Glicked" effect is real. The success of Wicked and Gladiator II opening together in late November created a momentum that carried the entire industry through December.
If you’re looking for what to watch next, most of these are still playing in theaters, though they’ll start hitting digital platforms soon. Gladiator II actually hit digital on Christmas Eve, which was a surprise to many. If you missed the theatrical run for Nosferatu or A Complete Unknown, catch them now before the Oscars buzz makes the lines unbearable.